1 ratings / 4 average

Lung Function Assessment

Owens CM, Aurora P, Stanojevic S et al.; London Cystic Fibrosis Collaboration.

Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.

 Thorax 2011;66:481–8.

Editor’s note: The lung clearance index (LCI), derived from multiple-breath washout (MBW), is a feasible measure of lung function across the entire pediatric age range. It assesses the evenness of ventilation distribution within the lung, and is a more sensitive tool to detect early lung involvement in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) than flow-based measures, such as spirometry. A previous retrospective analysis has demonstrated a strong correlation between LCI and structural changes on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans (Thorax 2008;63:129–34). The use of MBW as a screening tool to detect structural lung damage is attractive, as it avoids the radiation-related risks associated with HRCT. To date, the relationship between LCI and structural lung damage, in comparison to other measures of lung function, has not been studied prospectively.

Return to top

LATEST ARTICLES

Our most popular articles